Caster for furniture.



G. E. NEUBERTH. GASTER FOR FURNITURE;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21,- 1908.

900.577. Patented out. 6,1908.

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UEURGE E. NEUBERTH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL CASTER &

' FOUNDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAS'IER FOR FURNITURE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed May 21, 1908. Serial No. 434,046.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn E. NEUBERTH, a citizen of the United States, residingat Newark, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters for l u'rnit'ure, of which the following is a spec1-' fication, (Case 2,) illustrated by drawings.

The. invention relates to the class of casters having a caster-wheel, jaws and pintle adapted to be held and centered in a tubular leg relatively large as compared with the pintlc, and provided with means for detachably holding the caster to the leg, for supporting the Weight of the leg upon the caster, for centering and. supporting the pintle within the leg when in use, and for holding the. caster to the leg so it. will not drop off when the leg is aised.

The object of the invention is to produce such a. caster which shall be simple in construction and operation,- comparatively low in cost, and yet which shall utilize the exterior surface of the leg and have holding means acting on such surface for this purose.

Tubular metallic legs of a given rated size usually vary to a very considerable extent in their internal diameters, and to a much less extent in their external diameters; and moreover, the exterior surface, being exposed to view is generally finished with more care than the interior, the interior very frequently having ribs, burs, and other projections which are liable to interfere with the accurate fitting of the caster structure thereto.

In a co-pending application Serial No. 434,045 I have set forth some ofthefeatures of the present inventions and have made specific claims for a different structure, together with generic claims to a broader invention conunon to both cases. The present specification is addressed to a. caster c.on struction having resilient gripping arms or members which extend upwards on the outer surface of the foot of the leg and hold the caster to the leg.

In the accmn 'mnying drawings Figure. l is a side elevation of a caster embodying the present invention as applied to a tubular leg. Fig. 2 is a partial view showing the caster removed from the leg and the socket partly in lull and partly in central section.

The form of caster-Wheel l3, jaws C pintle I), and the portions of'the frame or socket E,

F, (it within the leg may be widely varied without affecting the present invention, which more particularly concerns the feature already mentioned. I have selected for illustration a tubular shank E provided with i an upper disk F approximately fitting and centered by the interior of the leg, and a legsupporting disk G. at the lower end of the shank which sustains the weight of the leg and preferably rests upon a common form of ball-bearing above the jaws C, the socket and the pintle being detachably held together by the inbent spring tongue K engaging the. pintlc 1) below its slightly enlarged head.

The caster is provided with upwardly extending and resilient gripping arms or mem- 7o bers S which press inwardly against and grip the leg J so as to hold thereon frictionally and prevent the caster fronrdropping oil. Preferably though not necessarily the same spring members S will center the legsupporting disk (1, with which they may be an integral part as shown, the leg-supporting disk G in turn centeringthe lower end of the pintle Q in respect to the outer surface of the leg J. The pint-1e. has a central- .30 izing bearing also at its upper end, as shown, and turns freely therein.

The invention in the form illustrated pro videsa very ornamental collar or leg mount ,around the lower end of the leg J, obviating .85 the expense of casting or otherwise securing a separate ornamental leg mount on the leg. The upturned spring members S may incline slightly inwards from their base to their points of bearing on the leg, and thence their .inner surface at least should incline outwards to act as inclined planes or cam surfaces so the leg may be readily thrust into them, forcingthcm outwards and producing gripping pressure.

In using the. invention it. will be understood that. the socket may be inserted in the leg without the. caster-wheel, jaws and pintie, and the furniture may be transported or exposed for sale with the sockets in place, the. spring members S firmly and sufficiently securing the socket. lVhcn the piutlc is thrust in place. in the socket and caughhby the spring tongue K, the spring members S serve to hold the entire caster structure to the leg, the socket providing bearings for the pintle and the weight of the leg resting upon the disk G.

Without attempting to enumerate many obvious modifications that may be made in 11 0 .leg, combined with bearings for the caster pintle inside the gripping means, or any of the very great number of modifications by which the other parts of the Structure described may be re placed, I claim the following:'

l. A caster having upwardly extending resilient gripping arms or members for frictionally bearinagainst the exterior of the tionally bearing against the exterior of a cylindrical leg and provided wlth inclined 111- 'ner faces for cooperation with the leg.

3. A caster having upwardly extending rcsilient gripping arms or members for frictionally bearing against the exterior of the the pintle adapted to be received and contained within the interior of the leg.

4-. A caster having upwardly extending resilient gripping arms or members for frictionally bearing against the exterior of the leg, combined with bearings for supporting which the pintle is detachably secured.

A caster having alcg-supporting disk secured in respect to the pintle and having upturned resilient members frictioually embracing the exterior of the leg and securing of the leg and in the disk thereto and a frame or socket for receiving the pintle within the leg.

6; A caster having a pintle and a socket. detachable therefrom and having upturned spring members engaging the exterior'of the leg and centering and holding the socket thereby.

7. A caster having a pintle, a frame or socket adapted to be received within the tubular leg and in which the pintle is 1nouuted, said caster being provided with a plurality of gripping arms or members extending upwards on the outer surface of the leg to hold the caster to the leg.

8. A caster having a pintle a frame or i socket adapted to be received within the tubular leg and to act laterally against the interior surfaceof the leg and within which the pintle is mounted, said caster having a plurality of gripping arms or members extending upwards for acting on the exterior surface of the tubular leg to hold the caster thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, May 20th, 1908.

GEORGE l). NICUIHC l'lll.

\Vi tuesses:

l). VAN ZAND'I, HnunAN Mouius. 

